Remember Mahek Chahal, the nayee padosan from the not-so-popular 2003 film of the same name?
Well, the girl's back with a string of films under big banners, a new worked-out bod, "lot's more knowledge about the industry and acting," as she honestly admits, and, much to her dismay, a strong link-up with Salman Khan.
Her first release this year will be Boney Kapoor's Wanted: Dead and Alive, where she stars with Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia, Mahesh Manjrekar and Vinod Khanna. And everyone's already talking about the song she's done with Sallu in the film. But, the grapevine is also talking of her being Salman's newest 'object of affection' - after Katrina, Salman seems to be taking a keen interest in Mahek's career. After all, she also stars with Sallu in his brother Sohail Khan's Main aur Mrs Khanna.
Ask Mahek what she has to say about the link-up, and she tells us the cliched "Salman's just a good friend" but she's quick to fight in her defence. "He's helped so many newcomers in the industry, be it Sajid-Wajid, Himesh Reshammiya, Sanjay Chhel or Katrina. It's just because I am a girl that I am being targetted. His genuine help is being deliberately viewed in a negative manner. And if I really was his latest 'object of affection', I'd have got the lead roles in the films I'm doing with him, right," she asks, tongue firmly in cheek. Point taken.
But what's also upsetting Mahek is that these "rumours" are taking away from the fact that she's genuinely put in a lot of hard work for her second innings in Bollywood. "I agree I made some terrible mistakes when I started out. But I've learned from them, I now know how the industry works, I've worked on my acting, dancing, Hindi and my body, and it's unfair that all the credit for my getting film offers is going to Salman! What about all the hard work that I've put in all these years," says the Norway-born model-cum- actress.
Okay, so Salman's just a "good friend", so what kind of a relationship do the two share? "He's a thorough professional, very understanding with newcomers and his advice is always for the betterment of the actor in question as well as the film. The best thing about him is that he has no starry attitude."
Salman, then, would be her favourite Khan, right? "Well, actually, it's Aamir, I love the perfectionist in him. He does whatever he does to the best of his ability, without thinking about awards or fans."
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